SUSTAINABILITY | COMPOUND INNOVATION
Above: Cabot recently
launched black masterbatches formulated in resins from post-industrial and post-con- sumer sources
availability of affordable materials, recycling infra- structure, and the recycling of multi-stream waste such as filled materials and reinforced engineering plastics. “The plastics processing and recycling industries are also not yet well aligned,” she says. “Cooperation, partnerships and more alignment are necessary in the transition towards a more circular economy. In addition, governmental and regulatory support and direction is also needed.” As a speciality compounder with a focus on high-end applications for highly regulated markets, Wittenburg Group focuses on upcycling and reduc- ing waste and material usage by applying the 10R framework. “We connect with our customers and listen to the challenges they face,” says Priscilla Lips, Business Development Manager. “Together we develop sustainable solutions to address these challenges. There is no one approach that fits all. Over the years we have developed a broad understanding of different sustainability topics that can be important for customers. These can be related to the carbon footprint of products, but also to increase reusability or prevent the use of potentially harmful substances in materials. “A good example is the upcycling of post-con-
sumer recycled raw materials into high end applications, such as safety components in auto- motive applications or high-end consumer prod- ucts. With these applications we demonstrated that it is no longer necessary to downgrade mechani- cally recycled materials into low-end products. Through compounding it is possible to upgrade this material to a higher quality,” she says. “We are making increasing use of life-cycle assessment and certifications to support our customers and we expect that this will play an even bigger role in the future. We also aim to advise our customers to select materials with a lower environmental impact and improve the recyclability of their products.”
46 COMPOUNDING WORLD | February 2023
Carbon transition Many plastics users are focused on the transition to a lower carbon future and, to that end, are looking to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and/or increase circularity in their products, according to Cabot Corporation. “Biodegradable, bio-com- postable, reclaimed and recycled raw materials are all areas of interest in the plastics market,” says Bernadette Corujo, Specialty Compounds Market- ing Manager, Americas region. “In fact, market studies suggest sustainable compounds made from sustainable processes and feedstocks are outpacing the growth of the traditional masterbatch market. Another develop- ing trend is increased partnerships between suppliers and customers. This trend is helping to accelerate new product developments that support sustainability,” she says. Corujo identifies factors driving demand for sustainable compounds as competition for resources such as water and energy, new regula- tions, climate change pressures, and an overall increase in awareness about the impact plastics can have on the environment. “At Cabot, we actively collaborate with our customers to develop new sustainable compounds that improve performance and impart sustainability benefits,” she says. “Market pull has a major influence on driving new developments in sustainable compounding. In addition to solutions, customers and consumers are also asking for measurable, meaningful metrics related to Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions,” she says. “Sustainable solutions vary greatly by market segment and can also be interdependent on one another. For example, packaging focuses on the elimination of single use plastics and waste reduction, while agricultural films focus on biodeg- radability and labour savings. Post-consumer and post-industrial recycled resins can be used as feedstocks for several segments, such as drainage pipe and automotive parts.” Cabot adds that it is very important that the benefits of sustainable plastic compounds are evaluated quantitatively across the entire value chain. It says plastics often have a poor perception with consumers and even with OEMs and FMCGs but the entire life cycle impact of the product needs to be understood and quantified to truly understand the full environmental impact. Limiting waste through recycling, recovering,
and reusing raw materials in an economical manner is another challenge that requires new solutions. According to Corujo, technical areas of interest currently include developing solutions that enable circularity, as well as increase recycling to help
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: CABOT CORPORATION
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